Obstetrical examining chair and examination method

ABSTRACT

An obstetrical examination body support structure is disclosed, being in the form of a comfortable upholstered, contoured, reclining chair and adjustable to a plurality of fixed, tilted positions to assure the patient&#39;&#39;s comfort and ease examination of the patient&#39;&#39;s chest and uro-genito-rectal area by the physician. The chair includes a unitarily movable back and head rest, centrally open buttocks support, and thigh, calf and foot rest supports, the leg support portion being outwardly spread as the chair approaches, a fully reclined attitude, to properly expose the uro-genito-rectal area for examination.

United States atent 1 1 Lawley et al. Nov. 5, 1974 OBSTETRHCAL EXAMTNINGCHAIR AND 3,414,324 12/1968 Taylor et al. 297/7 7 EXAMINATION METHOD3,479,086 11 /l969 She riglan gm/33o [76] Inventors: Wraymon RandleLawley, 5601 Primary Examiner Roy Lake wllhalnstown Dallas AssistantExaminer-Craig R. Feinberg 3 9 Tammy Lawley 1503 Attorney, Agent, orFirmStrauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies W1lsh1re Blvd, Arlington, Tex. & Kurz76012 [22] Filed: Nov. 6, 1972 ABSTRACT An obstetrical examination bodysupport structure is [21] Appl' 303874 disclosed, being in the form of acomfortable upholstered, contoured, reclining chair and adjustable to aCl plurality of fixed, tilted positions to assure the pa- 297/ 2 2tients comfort and ease examination of the patients [51] Int. Cl A6llg13/00 chest and uro-genito-rectal area by the physician. The [58] e d OfSearch 69/ 322. chair includes a unitarily movable back and head rest,269/326, 327, 328; D83/1; 5/66, 67, 68, 69; centrally open buttockssupport, and thigh, calf and 297/83, 88, 325, 431 foot rest supports,the leg support portion being outwardly spread as the chair approaches,a fully reclined [56] References Cited attitude, to properly expose theuro-genito-rectal area UNITED STATES PATENTS for am 2,7l4,922 8/1955McKibban et al. 297/330 3,179,466 4/1965 Garrett 297/88 20 Claims, 8Drawing Figures, 3,318,596 5/1967 Herzog 269/328 OBSTETRICAL EXAMININGCHAIR AND EXAMINATION METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Currentlyavailable obstetric examination tables are rudimentary in constructionand uncomfortable for the patient. Usually, the table is merely ageneral purpose physicians table having a high, flat, hard body supportsurface, modified by the addition of a pair of metal stirrups on eitherside of the table top surface for receiving the patients heels so thatthe pelvic region is exposed for examination.

Several problems occur in use of such a table. It is difficult for thepatient to climb onto the table and assume a prone position,particularly if the patient is a woman in the'later stages of pregnancy.The stirrups are uncomfortable, because they are made of metal whichpresses into the patients heels, and very tiring, since no support isgiven'to the patients thighs and calves. Frequently,'positioning of thestirrups is incorrect, resulting in inadequate exposure of the pelvicregion for examination. Once the'examination is complete, the patientmust possess the physical attributes of a gymnast to climb off thetable. Again, this can be a substantial problem for a woman in the latestages of pregnancy.

Prior U.S. patents offer little in providing an acceptable solution,disclosing a wide variety of treatment, surgical and examination tables,but home being designed primarily for uro-genito-rectal examinations.U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,596 issued to Robert P. Herzog does disclose a tablemore satisfactory than other prior art devices, but the table isdesigned primarily for obstetrical deliveries. It includes a back restand articulated leg supports which are movable in a l to 1 ratio, but aseat support remains stationary during movement of the remaining partswhich moves the patient to a Trendelenburg attitude. Additionally, theleg support sections may be spread for proper exposure of the perineumenabling obstetrical delivery.

U.S. Pat. Nos 3,227,439 and 3,227,440 disclose medical tables primarilydesigned for use as operating tables, and including multiple movablebody support members for portions of the torso and the extremities ofthe patient. U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,747 issued to Marc A. Cardoso disclosesa dual purpose examining and operating table having movable body portionsupports, and includes necessary accessories or accessory supports suchas lights, equipment drawers and I. V. bottle stands, but articulationof the table to various positions still involves a stationary buttockssupport 13 (compare FIGS. 1 and 2) which in many examinations isundesirable. Other operating tables having flat, movable body supportsections although considered quite remote from the present are noted asbeing disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos 488,649; 3,635,461; and Design U.S.Pat. No. 222,192.

The prior art does not disclose an examining chair having unitarilymovable head, back, buttocks, thigh, leg and foot support portions forproperly exposing the perineum for medical examination with minimumdiscomfort to the patient and physician.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, a primary object of this inventionresides in provision of a medical examination chair designed primarilyfor chest examinations and examination of the perineum and attendantregions, comprising unitarily movable body support portions for rotatingthe patient from a seated position toa Trendelenburg attitude with aminimum of discomfort and strain on the part of both patient andphysician.

It is another object of the invention to provide a medical examinationchair rotatable to an infinite number of tilted positions for ease inpositioning the supine patient for medical examination of the chest andperi neum.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a medical examinationchair having thigh and calf supports automatically outwardly movable asthe chain rotates to a fully reclined position to expose the perineumfor examination. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a reclining medicalexamination chair having simple electromechanical actuation means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a recliningmedical examination chair having a scissors linkage and cam follower andguide construction resulting in approximately full rotationof the chairinto a perineum examining position with a minimal number of operatingparts and change in center of gravity of the chair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reclining medicalexamination chair having foot rest portions resting flat on the floorfor ease of ingress and egress by the patient, the foot rests beingautomatically rotatable to dispose the feet and ankles of the patient ina comfortable attitude during examination.

Yet another feature of the invention resides in a novel method ofpreparing a patient for perineum examination.

Further novel features and other objects of this invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description, discussion and theappended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS A preferred structural embodiment of thisinvention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the invention in an uprightchair-formed disposition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the chair ina fully reclined, perineum examination attitude; and drawn to a reducedscale;

FIG. 3'is a side view of the invention, partially in section, -showingthe invention in an upright, position in phantom lines, and a partiallyreclined position for chest examination, shown in solid lines;

FIG. 4 is a side view, partially in section, of the chair in a fullyupright position.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the chair as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the chair with parts broken away to showinterior detail;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6 and drawn toan enlarged scale; and

FIG. 8 is another sectional view taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 6 andalso drawn to an enlarged scale.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the upright dispositionillustrated in FIG. I, a preferred embodiment has the structure andappearance of a comfortable easy chair, and for convenience will bedesignated as a chair. It has structural side arm rest portions and 12with a unitary body support main chair section 14 including head andback rest area 16, buttocks, thigh and calf sections 18 and 20, andmovable foot rests 22 and 24. In the center between leg sections 18 andis a stationary seat center portion 26, fixed to the base framework,enlarged at 28 (FIG. 1) to provide proper support for a sitting patientwhen the chair is in its upright condition. However, when the chair isshifted to its fully reclined attitude (FIG. 2) the main section risesabove the center portion 26, 28, whereupon the perineum is fully exposedfor examinatron.

The base framework of the chair comprises front and rear cross-beams 30,32 to which are secured side channel beams 34, 36 providing a rigid,substantially rectangular base, the beams being made of sound structuralmaterial such as aluminum or steel. The main chair section I4 issupported on the side beams 34, 36 by a pair of scissors linkageassembly support braces 38, each including a short lever 40 and a longlever 42. Each short lever 40 is pivotally fixed to an associatedchannel beam 34 or 36 near the forward end of the base frame and tochair 14 at a point adjacent the lower end of back rest 16. Each longlever 42 is pivotally fixed medially to the associated short lever 40and carries a freely rotating roller 44 at its lower end which rides inits associated channel beam 34 or 36. The upper end of each long levercarries a roller type cam follower 46 which rides in a cam slot 48formed on the outer side of base 50 of a leg rest 18 or 20. A transverseaxle rod 52 interconnects the two rollers 44. The axle also carries ajack block 54 which is fitted to a longitudinally mounted non-rotatable,screwjack actuator rod 56. The threaded rod 56 is reciprocated by aninternally threaded hollow drive sleeve of a reversible power unit 58,mounted in the frame of the chair (FIGS. 2 and 5). Power unit 58 isoperated in selected directions by conventional spring loadedpush-buttons 60.

In a preferred embodiment, power unit 58 is a reversible electric motorwith suitable electrical control circuits including limit switch safetycontrols for automatic motor cutoff at the end positions of theoperating linkage.

With particular reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the operation of those partsof the invention as thus far set forth will now be explained. When thechair is in a fully upright. position, as illustrated in FIG. I, byphantom lines in FIG. 3, and the partial view of FIG. 7, each sidescissors assembly 38 is in a fully extended attitude. By operation of anappropriate one of the buttons 60, motor 58 will drive the actuator rod56 to the right, as viewed in the drawing Figures, to draw the lowerends of both assemblies to a contracted disposition, via the connectionof actuator rod 56 to jack block 54 and axle 52 which connects the lowerends of each long lever 42. During the scissor action, rollers 44 ridein channel tracks 34, 36. As the actuator rod 56 travels to the right,its outer and eventually protruding end may be covered by a housing 62'conveniently located between footrests 22, 24. An alternative drivecould'provide a trunnion mounted nut on thecross axle 52 and theactuator rod could be an axially stationary, rotatable threaded shaftsecured on the motor drive shaft. Other suitable reliable drive trainscan be utilized.

An intermediate chair position is illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 3.It should be noted in this Figure that cam follower 46 has begun totravel rearwardly along its associated cam slot 48 in the side of thechair seat. The sinuous configuration of the pair of side cam slots 48is dictated by the geometry imposed by the movement of scissorsassemblies 38, wherein the end pivots of short levers 40 are fixed ateach end and the movable end pivots of long levers 42 are confined tothe horizontal guide paths provided by channels 34, 36. In theintermediate position, the main chair body has been lifted approximatelyhalfway between a normal chair seat height and the normal perineumexamination height and the patient will be properly disposed for a chestexamination. Due to the self locking screw threaded jack type actuationof the chair, it will not move from any position except upon intentionaloperation of a selected one of push-buttons 60. As describedhereinbefore, each button 60 is preferable of the spring loaded variety,completing the circuit to actuate the motor 58 only when depressedagainst spring bias, the motor being inoperative when pressure on thebutton is released.

Subsequent or continued operation of the appropriate button 60 moves thechair to a fully reclined position, for pelvic examination, asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. In this fully reclined condition, scissorsassemblies are contracted and cam followers 46 are at the rearward (orbottom) end of cam slot guides 48. The chair 14 has also been fullytilted, about and fully raised to examination height so that the patientis laying comfortably supine. As just described, it will be appreciatedfrom an inspection of FIGS. 3 and 4, that the entire chair 14 has beentilted or rotated without any in terplay movement of relative bodysupport members excepting for lateral swinging of the leg supports aswill be described; thus the patient is moved to a pelvic examinationposition with maximum comfort. Moreover, the entire invention retains aremarkable degree of stability in that the center of gravity of thepatients body and the main chair section has been shifted onlyminimally, slightly to the right.

Depression of the other of the control buttons 60 will operate the motorin a reverse direction to rotate the chair 14 back to its initialupright position, shown in FIG. 1. As before noted, to prevent damage tomotor 58 or other moving parts of the invention, the control circuit mayinclude limit switches 64 (FIG. 3) at each end of one or both of camguide slots 48, each limit switch being disposed for contact by camfollower 46 or a suitable switch operator, to stop motor 58 at eachdesigned travel limit in the event the operator should hold apush-button 60 in depressed condition.

Another feature of the invention includes structure and mechanismenabling leg supports 18 and 20 to spread apart for exposure of theperineum as the chair approaches the fully reclined attitude. Turning toFIG. 5, a Y-linkage assembly includes a stem rod 66 pivotally mountedatone end on a jack block 54. The upper end and two branches of the stemrod 66 has a yoke to which are pivotally fastened two connecting rods 68having their other ends respectively attached to leg rests l8 and 20 byball joint connections 70. Leg rests I8 and 20 are each mounted beneathbody support 14, for swinging movement laterally relative to the chairseat, on pivot mounts 72 (FIG. 5). As the chair l4 approaches a fullyreclined attitude (FIG. 4), it has also been raised to its upper levelposition and the linear distance between ball joints 70 and jack block54 will necessarily increase, as an inspection of FIGS. 3 and 4 willreveal. Thus, branches 68 of the Y-linkage which were initially in astraight line (H6. 6) across the upper end of the stem 66 will be pulledinto a Y configuration (FIG. 5) causing leg rests -18 and 20 to pivotoutwardly about their pivot mounts 70gently spreading the patients legsand exposing the perineum for examination. When the examination iscompleted and chair 14 is rotatedback to an upright disposition (FIG.I), leg sections 18 and 20 will gradually come together as the lineardistance between ball joints 70 and jack block 54 is reduced.

Each foot rest 22, 24 is pivotally mounted at the base of its respectiveleg section 18 or 20. As illustrated in FIG. 8, a leaf spring 74 isfixedto each axle 76 mounting a foot rest, the free end of spring 74being retained in pegs 78. When the chair is in the full uprightposition, footrests 22 and 24 as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 8, are forcedcounterclockwise'by engagement of their, floor portions with the floor,to lay flat on the floor, against the urging of spring 74 (FIG. 8) sothat the patient may get into and out of the chair easily. As the chair14 is rotated to an examining position, each spring74 urges itsassociated foot rest counterclockwise about its pivot axis 76 to acomfortably inclined attitude to support the patients feet without unduestrain during examination.

Obviously, the actuating mechanism for rotating the ch'air'to an,examining position need not be the same as precisely set forth above.If, as previously described,

jack block 54 were made as an internallythreaded trunnion mounted nut toreceive a threaded actuator rod 56 and rod 56 were constructed to berotated to move block 54 the'realong to rotate chair 14, the rod 56would be mounted in bearing blocks at its distal ends such as a sanitarytissue dispenser, which may conveniently be located in the rear of backrest 16, a heated instrument drawer or drawers which may be placed inthe base of the invention adjacent the push-buttons 60, and/or atelescoping light fixture, located conveniently between leg supports i8,20.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are therefore intended to be embracedtherein.

. We claim:

, l. A support structure formedical examination purposes in the form ofa reclining chair, comprising: a base having stationary arm rest devicesfixed on eluding integral back and buttocks support portions, legsupport means for movement unitarily with said integral back andbuttocks support portions to and from a reclining attitude and a seatrest portion disposed between said buttocks support portions when saidchair body support is in an upright, chair-like position; meansconnecting said chair body support to said base enabling relativeunitary reclining movement thereof, said leg support portions comprisinga pair of laterally swingable, integral thigh and calf support memberadapted to be moved to properly expose apatients perineum for medicalexamination thereof; and means for moving said reclining chair bodysupport from said upright, chair-like position to a reclined, medicalexamination attitude, said seat'rest portion being positioned other thanbetween said buttocks support portions as said reclining chair bodysupport is moved to said re,

clined, medical examination attitude to further expose a patientsperineum for medical examination.

2. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein said reclining chairbody support and said stationary arm larged seat portion between saidbuttocks support porv tions when said reclining chair body support is insaid upright, chair-likeposition for full perineum exposure when saidreclining chair body support is in a reclined,

raised medical examination attitude.

4. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein said reclining chairbody support is mounted in said base by a pair of scissors link assemblybraces, one 'on each side of said chair, each scissors assembly braceincluding a first lever, pivotally fixed to saidbase and said recliningchair at distal ends thereof and a second lever, pivotally fixedmesially to a center portion of said first lever, and having distal endsslidably interconnected to said base and reclining chair respectively. 7i

5. The invention as recited in claim 4, wherein said second-leverfurther includes anti-friction guide at a lower end thereofinterconnected with a channel beam portion of said base for slidableinterconnection of said second lever' and said base.

6. The invention as recited in claim 4, wherein said anti-friction meanscomprises a roller.

7. The invention as recited in claim 4, wherein said second leverfurther includes a cam follower at the upper end thereof, and saidreclining chair further includes a cam track in which said cam followeris interfitted for slidable interconnection of said second lever andreclining chair.

8. The invention as recited in claim 7, wherein said cam track issinuous in form.

9. The invention as recited in claim 4, wherein the lower distal ends ofeach second lever of said pair of either side thereof; a reclining chairbody support inscissors link braces are interconnected by an axle, saidaxle being connected to said means for moving said reclining chair bodysupport from an upright chair-like position to a reclined, medicalexamination position.

10. The invention as recited in claim 9, wherein said means for movingsaid reclining chair body support comprise an elongate actuator rodsecured to said axle mesially thereof, and power means for moving saidactuator rod to close said scissors link braces and pivot said recliningchair to a medical examination attitude.

11. The invention as recited in claim 10, wherein said power meanscomprises an electric motor;

12. The invention as recited in claim 11, wherein said actuator rod isexternally threaded to be linearly driven by said electric motor, saidelectric motor including push-button control means for forward andreverse movement of said actuator rod, whereby said reclining chair bodysupport may be tilted to an infinite number of intermediate examinationpositions between said upright and fully reclined positions.

13. The invention as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one of saidpair of scissors link braces includes limit switch means to preventovertravel of said reclining chair body support beyond said fullyreclined and fully upright positions.

14. The invention as recited in claim 4, wherein said means for movingsaid chair body support to a reclined attitude also raises said chairbody support to an examination level; and each of said laterallyswingable thigh and calf support members is pivotally mounted beneathits buttock support and is further connected to said axle by link meanssecured to said axle and to said swingable members adjacent said pivotalmounts, whereby upon rotation of and raising of said reclining chair tosaid medical examination attitude, the linear distance between said axleand said pivotal mounts is increased, causing said linkage to move saidswingable members outwardly about their pivotal mounts.

15. The invention as recited in claim 14, wherein said link meanscomprise a first link pivotally mounted on said axle, and a pair oflinks pivotally mounted on the free end of said first link and connectedto said swingable members by universal joint means, whereby said linkmeans is in the form of a T when said reclining chair is in said fullupright position and in the form of a Y when said reclining chair is insaid reclined'attitude.

16. The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein each said integral thighand calf support member further comprises a foot support memberpivotally mounted on the end of its calf support member whereby saidfoot support member lays flat on a support surface for said body supportstructure, to ease access to and from said reclining chair by a patient.

17. The invention as recited in claim 16, wherein each foot supportmember further comprises spring meansurging said foot support slightlyupwardly about its pivot mount to provide a comfortable foot rest for apatient in a reclined attitude on said reclining chair body support.

18. A method of perineum examination comprising the steps of: placingthe patient in a reclining chair structure, wherein at least thepatients buttocks are fully supported across the width of the patientsbuttocks, rotating the patient about a moving horizontal axis to aTrendelenburg attitude and simultaneously exposing the patients perineumwithout changing the inter-relative attitudes of the patients back,buttocks and legs, and swinging the patients legs outwardly as thepatient approaches said Trendelenburg attitude to more fully expose theperineum for medical examina tion.

19. The method of perineum examination as recited in claim 18,comprising the further step of: momentarily interrupting the rotation ofthe patient to a Trendelenburg attitude for the purposes of chestexamination.

20. The method of perineum examination as recited in claim 18,comprising the further step of raising the lower half of the patientsbody simultaneously with the step of rotating the patient and exposingthe patients perineum.

U'NiTED srATEs PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 8 D dNovember 5 19-74 Inventor(s) Wraymon Rahdle Lawleyt & Tommy Joe Lawley IIt is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column Spline 21, change "floor" to -heel-.

' Claim ,1, line l after- "A" insert -bo dy- Colufnn 6, line 10, change"member" to members.

Signed "A'IuiLsetaled this 7th day of January 1975.

(SEAL) Attest: I

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer 7 Commissioner ofPatents uscoMM-oc 0031 s-pos i 0.5. GOVH NMZNT PRINTING OFFICE I.0--3H-33l FORM PO-IOSO (10-69)

1. A support structure structure for medical examination purposes in theform of a reclining chair, comprising: a base having stationary arm restdevices fixed on either side thereof; a reclining chair body supportincluding integral back and buttocks support portions, leg support meansfor movement unitarily with said integral back and buttocks supportportions to and from a reclining attitude and a seat rest portiondisposed between said buttocks support portions when said chair bodysupport is in an upright, chair-like position; means connecting saidchair body support to said base enabling relative unitary recliningmovement thereof, said leg support portions comprising a pair oflaterally swingable, integral thigh and calf support member adapted tobe moved to properly expose a patient''s perineum for medicalexamination thereof; and means for moving said reclining chair bodysupport from said upright, chair-like position to a reclined, medicalexamination attitude, said seat rest portion being positioned other thanbetween said buttocks support portions as said reclining chair bodysupport is moved to said reclined, medical examination attitude tofurther expose a patient''s perineum for medical examination.
 2. Theinvention as recited in claim 1, wherein said reclining chair bodysupport and said stationary arm rests are fully upholstered.
 3. Theinvention as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for moving saidchair body support to a reclined attitude also raises said chair bodysupport to an examination level; and said seat rest portion includes anenlarged seat portion between said buttocks support portions when saidreclining chair body support is in said upright, chair-like position forfull perineum exposure when said reclining chair body support is in areclined, raised medical examination attitude.
 4. The invention asrecited in claim 1, wherein said reclining chair boDy support is mountedin said base by a pair of scissors link assembly braces, one on eachside of said chair, each scissors assembly brace including a firstlever, pivotally fixed to said base and said reclining chair at distalends thereof and a second lever, pivotally fixed mesially to a centerportion of said first lever, and having distal ends slidablyinterconnected to said base and reclining chair respectively.
 5. Theinvention as recited in claim 4, wherein said second lever furtherincludes anti-friction guide at a lower end thereof interconnected witha channel beam portion of said base for slidable interconnection of saidsecond lever and said base.
 6. The invention as recited in claim 4,wherein said anti-friction means comprises a roller.
 7. The invention asrecited in claim 4, wherein said second lever further includes a camfollower at the upper end thereof, and said reclining chair furtherincludes a cam track in which said cam follower is interfitted forslidable interconnection of said second lever and reclining chair. 8.The invention as recited in claim 7, wherein said cam track is sinuousin form.
 9. The invention as recited in claim 4, wherein the lowerdistal ends of each second lever of said pair of scissors link bracesare interconnected by an axle, said axle being connected to said meansfor moving said reclining chair body support from an upright chair-likeposition to a reclined, medical examination position.
 10. The inventionas recited in claim 9, wherein said means for moving said recliningchair body support comprise an elongate actuator rod secured to saidaxle mesially thereof, and power means for moving said actuator rod toclose said scissors link braces and pivot said reclining chair to amedical examination attitude.
 11. The invention as recited in claim 10,wherein said power means comprises an electric motor.
 12. The inventionas recited in claim 11, wherein said actuator rod is externally threadedto be linearly driven by said electric motor, said electric motorincluding push-button control means for forward and reverse movement ofsaid actuator rod, whereby said reclining chair body support may betilted to an infinite number of intermediate examination positionsbetween said upright and fully reclined positions.
 13. The invention asrecited in claim 12, wherein at least one of said pair of scissors linkbraces includes limit switch means to prevent overtravel of saidreclining chair body support beyond said fully reclined and fullyupright positions.
 14. The invention as recited in claim 4, wherein saidmeans for moving said chair body support to a reclined attitude alsoraises said chair body support to an examination level; and each of saidlaterally swingable thigh and calf support members is pivotally mountedbeneath its buttock support and is further connected to said axle bylink means secured to said axle and to said swingable members adjacentsaid pivotal mounts, whereby upon rotation of and raising of saidreclining chair to said medical examination attitude, the lineardistance between said axle and said pivotal mounts is increased, causingsaid linkage to move said swingable members outwardly about theirpivotal mounts.
 15. The invention as recited in claim 14, wherein saidlink means comprise a first link pivotally mounted on said axle, and apair of links pivotally mounted on the free end of said first link andconnected to said swingable members by universal joint means, wherebysaid link means is in the form of a T when said reclining chair is insaid full upright position and in the form of a Y when said recliningchair is in said reclined attitude.
 16. The invention as recited inclaim 1, wherein each said integral thigh and calf support memberfurther comprises a foot support member pivotally mounted on the end ofits calf support member whereby said foot support member lays flat on asupport surface for said body support structure, to ease access to andfrom said reclining chair bY a patient.
 17. The invention as recited inclaim 16, wherein each foot support member further comprises springmeans urging said foot support slightly upwardly about its pivot mountto provide a comfortable foot rest for a patient in a reclined attitudeon said reclining chair body support.
 18. A method of perineumexamination comprising the steps of: placing the patient in a recliningchair structure, wherein at least the patient''s buttocks are fullysupported across the width of the patient''s buttocks, rotating thepatient about a moving horizontal axis to a Trendelenburg attitude andsimultaneously exposing the patient''s perineum without changing theinter-relative attitudes of the patient''s back, buttocks and legs, andswinging the patient''s legs outwardly as the patient approaches saidTrendelenburg attitude to more fully expose the perineum for medicalexamination.
 19. The method of perineum examination as recited in claim18, comprising the further step of: momentarily interrupting therotation of the patient to a Trendelenburg attitude for the purposes ofchest examination.
 20. The method of perineum examination as recited inclaim 18, comprising the further step of raising the lower half of thepatient''s body simultaneously with the step of rotating the patient andexposing the patient''s perineum.